Here are five indicators, observations or articles that caught the eye of FA futurists today. Josh Freedman and Michael Lind consider America’s next social contract in The Atlantic. Joel Kotkin observes that increasingly Democratic Silicon Valley will pose challenges for progressives. Digital plutocrat supporters and rhetoric condemning the “1%” could eventually lead to stress within the Democratic coalition. BBC Future…
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One of the central conceits of the Internet is that once something is published, it is out in public forever. This is so basic an idea that sitcom characters were joking about back in 1996 (1996!). But in the post-Snowden age, there is greater interest in being able to limit the data shared on the…
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Here are five indicators, observations or articles that caught the eye of FA futurists today. A survey conducted by digital analytic firm Annalect has found that consumer concern about online security and personal privacy concerns has jumped since the NSA data collection revelations by Edward Snowden. According to Annalect’s data, which comes from an already on-going longitudinal…
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Here are five indicators, observations or articles that caught the eye of FA futurists today. UK artist Agatha Haines’ latest project explores the idea of using human-animal hybrid organs to prevent disease in humans. For example, her Electrostabilis Cardiumposits fusing genes from an electric eel with cardiac tissue that could deliver a shock to stabilize a cardiac arrhythmia.…
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Here are five indicators, observations or articles that caught the eye of FA futurists today. Toyota, GM, and other auto manufacturers are once again developing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, as technology improvements are reducing costs and calculations indicate that the cars will significantly out-perform internal combustion vehicles on emissions, even when emissions from the production of…
DetailsHere are five indicators, observations or articles that caught the eye of FA futurists today. New iPhone app in Iceland ensures that cousins don’t become “kissing cousins.” Phillips has developed prototypes of a tubular LED light that could be retrofit into existing overhead fluorescent fixtures. Although the tubular LED bulbs will have a significant cost…
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A report last week about the continued decline of the cost of genetic sequencing got me thinking about genetic privacy. The fabled “$1,000 genome” is coming into view, the pricepoint at which full sequencing can begin to be part of routine medical care in the developed world. That pricepoint also opens sequencing up for non-medical…
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The news that Bing was integrating public Facebook information into its search results was interesting to me on one point: privacy. I know, I know, Facebook and privacy, blah blah blah. (I will avoid discussion about the complexity of FB’s privacy settings, as it has been done to death elsewhere). Now Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook…
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